Community-based management of subsistence fisheries in Samoa

Much subsistence fishing in tropical regions is based in discrete communities which have a high level of marine awareness and some degree of control of adjacent waters. These factors provide an ideal basis on which to motivate communities to manage their own marine resources. A fisheries extension programme in Samoa encouraged each village community to define its key problems, discuss causes, propose solutions and take appropriate actions. Various village groups, including women's and untitled men's groups, provided information which was recorded (as problem/solution trees) on portable white-boards. The extension process culminated in a community-owned Fisheries Management Plan which listed the resource management and conservation undertakings of the community. Undertakings ranged from enforcing laws banning destructive fishing methods to protecting critical marine habitats. Within the first 2 years, the extension process commenced in 65 villages, of which 44 have produced Village Fisheries Management Plans to date. A large number (38) of these villages chose to establish community-owned Marine Protected Areas.     

Design and optimization of a semicontinuous hot-cold extraction of polyphenols from grape pomace

Grape pomace contains appreciable amounts of polyphenolic compounds such as anthocyanins and procyanidins which can be recovered for use as food supplements. The extraction of these polyphenols from the pomace is usually accomplished at slightly elevated temperatures, frequently employing hydroethanolic solvents. Due to governmental regulations and the cost involved in using ethanol as a solvent, as well as the loss in polyphenolics due to thermal degradation, improved extraction techniques are required. In this study, a semicontinuous extraction apparatus employing only water was developed to maximize the recovery of anthocyanins and procyanidins from red grape pomace (Vitis vinifera). Water is preheated prior to its entry to the extraction cell containing the grape pomace sample, where it is allowed to then flow continuously through the unheated extraction vessel prior to its collection at ambient conditions. Extraction variables that impacted the polyphenolic recovery included pomace moisture content (crude or dried), sample mass, water flow rate, and extraction temperature. A response surface method was used to analyze the results from the extraction, and the optimal conditions were found to be 140 °C and 9 mL/min water flow rate. These conditions can produce an extract containing 130 mg/100 g DW of anthocyanins and 2077 mg/100 g DW of procyanidins. Higher yields of polyphenolics were observed using crude (wet) rather than dried pomace, hence avoiding the need to dry the pomace prior to extraction. The described semicontinuous extraction method using only water as the extraction solvent under subcritical conditions allowed the efficient extraction of polyphenols from red grape pomace without the attendant loss of polyphenolic content due to having to heat the extraction vessel prior to commencement of extraction.     

Influence of lipid fraction, emulsifier fraction, and mean particle diameter of oil-in-water emulsions on the release of 20 aroma compounds

The influence of compositional and structural properties of oil-in-water emulsions on aroma release was examined under mouth conditions. The lipid (0.40 and 0.65) and emulsifier fractions (0.007, 0.010, and 0.014) were varied, as well as the mean particle diameter of the dispersed phase (0.60, 0.73, 0.85, and 1.10 microm). Aroma compounds were isolated in a model mouth system and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Studies were carried out to separate effects on the thermodynamic and the kinetic components of aroma release using equilibrium headspace analysis to distinguish the thermodynamic component. The lipid phase of the emulsions was composed of sunflower oil and the emulsifier phase was Tween 20. The release of 20 aroma compounds was evaluated; the compounds included alcohols (1-propanol, 1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-pentanol, 1-hexanol, and 2-nonanol), ketones (diacetyl, 2-butanone, 2-heptanone, 2-octanone, and 2-decanone), esters (ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, butyl acetate, and ethyl butyrate), aldehydes (hexanal, heptanal, and octanal), a terpene (alpha-pinene), and a sulfur compound (dimethyl sulfide). Decrease in lipid fraction and emulsifier fraction, as well as increase in particle diameter, increased aroma release under mouth conditions. Differences between groups of compounds and between compounds of homologous series with varying chain lengths were found. Changes in particle diameter had a considerable effect on the thermodynamic component of aroma release, whereas hardly any influence of the lipid fraction and emulsifier fraction was observed. Lipid fraction, emulsifier fraction, and particle diameter affected the kinetic component of aroma release, which could partially be attributed to changes in viscosity.     

The Solar Acoustic Spectrum and Eigenmode Parameters

The Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) project estimates the frequencies, amplitudes, and linewidths of more than 250,000 acoustic resonances of the sun from data sets lasting 36 days. The frequency resolution of a single data set is 0.321 microhertz. For frequencies averaged over the azimuthal order m, the median formal error is 0.044 microhertz, and the associated median fractional error is 1.6 x 10(-5). For a 3-year data set, the fractional error is expected to be 3 x 10(-6). The GONG m-averaged frequency measurements differ from other helioseismic data sets by 0.03 to 0.08 microhertz. The differences arise from a combination of systematic errors, random errors, and possible changes in solar structure.     

Production and Evaluation of Mexican-Style Chorizo Sausage Using Invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) Meat

In the United States, silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) is classified as an invasive fish with no commercial value. The main objective of this study was to develop a Mexican-style fish chorizo sausage with silver carp meat. Four formulations (1) containing vinegar (Wet); (2) Wet plus canola oil (O) and cassava starch/soy protein isolate extenders (E); (3) dry seasoning with no vinegar (Dry); and 4) Dry plus OE were evaluated for physicochemical characteristics (proximate composition, pH value, color, cook loss, and textural hardness) and sensory acceptability using 9-point hedonic and just-about-right scales. The addition of OE did not increase (P > 0.05) physicochemical characteristics nor (P > 0.05) sensory acceptance of the chorizo. In contrast, use of DS increased (P > 0.05) the sensory acceptability. However, panelists indicated a “saltiness” perception in all four formulations. A fifth formulation was processed using DS without salt addition. Sensory acceptability increased for this new formulation (scores between 7, like moderately, and 8, like very much). In conclusion, it is possible to formulate a Mexican-style fish chorizo sausage using silver carp meat with DS and no salt. Fish chorizo has good physicochemical characteristics and sensory acceptance, demonstrating a good alternative use for this otherwise underutilized invasive fish species.     

Pasting Property Differences of Commercial and Isolated Rice Starch with Added Lipids and β‐Cyclodextrin

Lipids are known to generally affect starch properties but the effects of lipid structure and β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) on different starches has not been investigated. This study compared the effects of lipids and β‐CD on pasting properties of isolated rice starch with commercial rice starch. Flour was defatted by Soxhlet extraction and deproteinated by alkaline protease digestion. Fatty acids, monopalmitin (MP), tripalmitin, lysophosphatidylcholine (LC), lysophophatidylethanolamine (LE), each added at 0.2 and 0.6% (starch db), and β‐CD added at 2 and 6% (starch db) were tested. Pasting temperature (PT) increased with added phospholipid, particularly in the commercial starch, while all lipids except tripalmitin increased final viscosity (FV) and total setback (TSB). Breakdown (BKD) was mainly affected and increased by up to 39 RVU for fatty acids while decreasing by up to 80 RVU for other lipids in both starches. TSB doubled by the addition of 0.6% MP but decreased to onethird by 0.6% LE or LC. Addition of β‐CD decreased minimum viscosity (MV) and FV while increasing BKD in isolate but decreased TSB in commercial starch.     

Weedy rice: An expanding problem in direct‐seeded rice in the Philippines

Weedy rice is morphologically similar to cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.). It has biological characteristics that identify it as a weed. Its important weedy characteristics, that is, early and heavy seed shattering, makes it very difficult to control. Weedy rice has not been reported to be an important weed problem in transplanted, flooded rice. However, the shift to direct‐seeded rice (DSR) due to water issues and high costs of labor has increased reports of weedy rice becoming an expanding important problem in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Experts believe that the growing adoption of DSR in Asian countries will result in the rise of weedy rice as one of the top troublesome weeds in rice production. Early and recent surveys in the Philippines have indicated the urgent need to increase awareness of weedy rice among farmers to allow the implementation of a number of effective location‐specific weed management strategies. These surveys and other studies conducted since weedy rice was first reported in 1991 confirmed that weedy rice and grass weed species caused major problems in DSR areas. About 35% of the 4.56 M ha harvested area in the country is planted with DSR. As cultivated and weedy rice are close relatives, it would be very difficult to implement management options very early in crop growth. However, a deeper understanding of the underlying traits of weedy rice can help develop a holistic approach toward effective and economic weed management.     

Tying pest insects in knots: the deployment of spider‐venom‐derived knottins as bioinsecticides

Spider venoms are complex chemical arsenals that contain a rich variety of insecticidal toxins. However, the major toxin class in many spider venoms is disulfide‐rich peptides known as knottins. The knotted three‐dimensional fold of these mini‐proteins provides them with exceptional chemical and thermal stability as well as resistance to proteases. In contrast with other bioinsecticides, which are often slow‐acting, spider knottins are fast‐acting neurotoxins. In addition to being potently insecticidal, some knottins have exceptional taxonomic selectivity, being lethal to key agricultural pests but innocuous to vertebrates and beneficial insects such as bees. The intrinsic oral activity of these peptides, combined with the ability of aerosolized knottins to penetrate insect spiracles, has enabled them to be developed commercially as eco‐friendly bioinsecticides. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that spider‐knottin transgenes can be used to engineer faster‐acting entomopathogens and insect‐resistant crops. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry